The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-05-20

A vntsrvlsw With Henry Osergs-Whaa
the Land and Labor Agltntor Has O. -
About the Aims aud Prospects az the
Faction Ne Represents-No Aliiancc
with the OLD Parties.
NEw YoRK, May r. Through the prom
inence given 70 the ecclesiastical troubles
Of DIR. Mc0lynn and the land aud labor
before the public for rionth or two, the
Labor party has not been heard from ~.
I'll = call for Q State convention was II.
sued the other day. A reporter saw ana
talked with Henry George about the plans
Of the party and It's conditions;
sIntcrest In our cause" he said. .is
spreading rapidly. Land and Labor clubs
arc forming all over the country. There
are one or two incongruous elements, hut
they don't AFFECT the general complexion
Of the party. Tho people here have had
. splendid education In the land question
and have graspcd II 80 thoroughly that
there is no danger that they will be likely
TO 20 back 10 the older partics Our ultl.
mate aim IL the abolition OF
all taxes except tLose on land
We can not hope TO accomplish
all, OF course, but the first step win
DO the taking Of all taxes on improve.
ments In the shape Of buildings aud land
Out West there has been q labor party
formed that put hodge-podgc PLANK ia
Its platform about land, but our people
have nothing to do with IL. We stand
hrm for the radical vie VS. Of the holding oi
land that has been repeatedly expressed
in our documents and declarations Of
| principles. think the party in this city
| IL much stronger now than II was In The
municipal election. Elsewhere IL certain
| ly IL, for where there was no party a. all
there Is now some kind Of organization IN
| nearly every important city. The polsii.
l clans don't know what 70 make OF us. and
| even the politicians are a yhting u.s."
| DO you expect the party 10 make
| presidential nomination In the next cam.
1 paignf'
| II am sure don't know really he
| said, I'VE don't care 70 hold the cxecu-
| tive ofices, but II seems to be necessary
| to fight for them in order 70 bring our
I principles into the field"
III nomination were made would II
not result in the sure election Of Re-
1 puhlcanf'
May be; we should not care. What
! difference does 1t make who holds the o.
I ficesl Are we really any better on be-
cause Mr.. Cleveland was elected. and
| would II make the burdens any heavier
y
tivel think not. The important thing
IL to get the people TO think Of the real
\ issue, and that IL the mission Of ne La
Dor party. There are lots OF Democrats
I to-day who ought 10 be Republic
aus. and vice versa. Now the party
lines must be so sharply drawn
that these congruous elements shall unite
under one standard. II the labor party
comes into tho field and by its presence
defeats an organization that otherwse
might count on victory, the tendency Will
be 70 shake up the parties 50 that the IN
congruous elements OF each will fall out
The Republican party was killed in the
last election. II will be capital thing
now TO kill the Democratic party. II thai
II OF done In the next election. IL sufely
will be In the next but enc, and then the
mission OF the labor party will have been
accomplished. Then genuine issue will be
before the country and the parties must
form on either side OF IL. That issue
naturally will be the land que stion. Judg-
ing from the way the case Is growing
should say that by that time the whole
country would be able TO discuss the ~
sue intciligently. Meantime, we shall
work hard in our own way. We shAa
countenancc nothing that looks like an
alliance with the other parties. and 70
guard against that IL will be necessary
for us TO have our own candidates IN the
field for every Office subject TO popular
election"
aThe labor parties cry against the cor
ruption Of the older organizations. what
does II say to the suggestion that the plac.
ing OF 30 much power In the Government
as will follow from making the state the
landlord will induce greater amount q
corruptionw
sThe reply Il that its . mistaken idea
to suppose that the functions Of the Gov
eminent will be increased by the adop
ton Of our plan On the contrary. they
will be diminished, and our policy calls
not only for no more Offices than exist a.
present. but no new ones. You see what
we strive against Is taxation. Their
are several kinds OF taxation
now. When we have reduced
them 70 tho enc tax on land
values only, what will happeni Why
the oflicials already intrusted with nc
assessment and collection Of taxes VIII
naturally do the work. The present ma
chIncry Of government will more than
suficc for the operation OF things accord
inR TO our plans. We shall simplify goy.
ernmcntal operations q great deal and
thus decrease the tendency TO corruption.
Further. . fruitful source Of corruption
to-day lies In the valuation Of taxable pror.
erty. When only land Is taxed there VIII
not be 90 great possibility Of fraud, ce-
cause Il II comparatively easy TO get a.
the value OF land. SO far IS the laoor
.. party IL concerned, II i harmonious. Il
Il an element in politics that has COM "
! stay, Tor Il = based not on desire ~
once, but on q conviction. The work q
| electing delegates 70 the State conven-
! ton will be undertaken very soon. and We
expect to have all parts OF the State rep
resented, and TO have very large gather
. ing"
,, me ran. Hsndle Railroad Robbers on